Map of the proposed U.S./Mexico border wall would cut through the Santa Nana wildlife refuge, causing “serious environmental and economic damage”. Graphic: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

By Lorenzo Zazueta-Castro
4 August 2017
(The Monitor) – Six Democratic Congressmen expressed concern in a letter addressed to the acting head of the Department of Homeland Security about the expected border wall construction at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.The congressmen expressed concern on the heels of news that DHS would be waiving environmental laws in order to build a section of wall near San Diego, causing many to believe that the refuge, and other borderlands would be next.The letter also comes as local elected officials and other interested parties are being shown a map of the proposed location of a border wall in the Rio Grande Valley – a map that multiple sources shared with The Monitor.“The Santa Ana refuge, located along the Rio Grande in South Texas, is one of the nation’s top bird-watching sites in the nation with more than 400 species of birds. The refuge also is home to two endangered wildcats — the ocelot and jaguarundi. It generates hundreds of millions of dollars through ecotourism every year, and is an irreplaceable treasure to the region,” the letter reads.“A wall cutting through the refuge could do serious environmental and economic damage, and the American public deserves transparency for what could be billions of taxpayers’ dollars spent on a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.” [more]

EXCLUSIVE: Monitor obtains map of proposed border wall in Hidalgo County